Kimchi variations

Quarter the Chinese cabbage lengthwise and cut into pieces. Wash thoroughly and drain. Mix the cabbage leaves with coarse sea salt in a large bowl. Add 200 ml water and cover the whole thing with a plate and weigh it down (e.g. with a saucepan). Leave to stand like this for a total of 4 hours, turning the cabbage once after 2 hours.

While the salt extracts the water from the cabbage, the kimchi paste is made. Roughly chop the apple, peeled ginger, peeled onion and garlic. Place in a tall container with the juice of half an orange, honey, fish sauce, chili flakes and paprika powder and puree to a paste using a hand blender. Slice the spring onion into rings and add. Stir 1 tablespoon of wheat flour into 90 ml of cold water and bring to the boil until a mushy consistency is achieved. Leave to cool and stir into the kimchi paste. Cut the radish into 1 cm thick slices and place in the kimchi paste.

After 4 hours, rinse the cabbage well several times and drain. Mix the Chinese cabbage leaves with the kimchi paste. Layer the Chinese cabbage and radish in sterilized jars with a large opening. Keep pressing the leaves towards the bottom of the glass to prevent air pockets from forming. Do not fill the jar to the top, but leave about two fingers’ width of space so that nothing overflows during fermentation. The cabbage must be covered with liquid. Seal the kimchi jars and leave to stand at room temperature for 2 days. This starts the fermentation process. Then store in the refrigerator. The kimchi can be eaten after a week at the earliest. The kimchi will keep for at least two months.